SOUTH Western will carry out vital engineering work between Yeovil Junction and Pinhoe in November.

Between Monday 23 and Thursday 26 November, engineers will carry out a large amount of tamping to re-pack ballast below the track’s sleepers and ensure that rails are level, as the line continues its recovery from the record-breaking temperatures of the summer.

This latest work will eventually allow engineers to safely remove the line’s speed restrictions and later, restore the normal timetable between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids.

To minimise disruption for customers, tamping is carried out when trains are not running and usually takes place between the last train service of the night and the first train service of the following morning.

To give engineers more time and make as much progress as possible, train services between Yeovil Junction and Exeter St Davids will be replaced by buses from 2246, across four consecutive nights.

South Western is advising customers looking to travel between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids, between Monday 23 and Thursday 26 November, to plan their journeys carefully.

Journey planners are up to date, and customers can check their journeys at www.southwesternrailway.com/plan-my-journey.

Simon Milburn, South Western’s Chief Engineering & Technology Officer, said:

“The record-breaking conditions of the summer dried out the clay soil in our embankments, causing the ground to shift below our tracks. This disturbed the precise track levels that we need to run trains at full speeds, which is why we have speed restrictions between Salisbury and Exeter.

“We’ve already carried out a lot of tamping to ensure trains can continue to run safely and reliably, and this additional overnight work will help us get to the track quality we need to bring us another step closer to restoring the normal timetable.

“We’re sorry for any disruption this may cause. We recommend customers plan carefully and allow extra time to complete their journeys, and once again thank them for their continued patience.”

South Western engineers are continuously monitoring track conditions to ensure safe and reliable train services, using the New Measurement Train to tell maintenance teams where tamping work is needed, as seen in this video:

Train services between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids have been running to an amended timetable since August, when the driest conditions ever recorded on the southern region of Britain’s railway network caused the ground below the embankments to crack and shift, disturbing the precise levels of the tracks above them.

While parts of the south and south west are still in drought, and conditions remain challenging, the continuous programme of tamping has helped to keep track quality as high as possible.

Customers are encouraged to visit the South Western Railway website for the latest information on both the West of England line and the amended timetable.